SAP S/4HANA for advanced variant configuration and SAP Product Configuration - Cloud 1808 and On-Premise 1809 releases contain a variety of new functionalities. In the next sentences, we will list all the significant and important advantages from a technological and business perspective.
Multi-Level Configuration
It gives you the opportunity to configure assemblies across multiple levels, that are exploded during the configuration process. It also allows the modeling of complex variant configuration models. Via the structure tree, you have the possibility to navigate to the configurable items. The root instances are reprocessed so that pricing reflects the configuration of all instances beneath it.
Integration of Routing
This feature enables routing support in the Simulation Configuration Models app and provides a couple of interesting functionalities. It displays the complete routing structure and the most important information about the routing sub-objects. It provides you the access towards to routing results in single- and multi-level cases and explores the operations regarding the parallel and alternative sequences. You will be able to see the effects of the configuration changes and follow up the different simulation dates, provided by the routing changes. On the one side the Integration of Routing displays the list of object dependencies assigned to the routing elements, and on the other, the list of components, assigned to an operation. Last, but not least, it gives you the details of a selected component and shows the routing-relevant trace messages.
Integration with Purchasing
The advanced variant configuration can now be used for purchasing of configurable materials. It allows you to create and change the configuration during the purchasing of orders and requisitions. The configuration can be maintained by clicking on the status in the fast entry or by clicking “configuration” on the “material data” tab page. This gives you the opportunity to navigate the whole process of purchasing.
Managing Characteristic Groups
This feature provides support for UI groups of characteristics and gives the chance to create, update and delete new groups. Displayed on the valuation UI, you will get the possibility to maintain descriptions in different languages for each group, also assign characteristics to a group, by collecting them in a custom specified order. In the valuation UI, characteristic groups can be assigned/unassigned to a configuration profile. The same characteristic group can be reused in multiple profiles and further on the assigned characteristics groups for a configuration profile can be sorted to influence in which sequence they will be visualized in the UI.
Machine Learning Support for Classification Reuse UI
This feature enables auto-classification of Document Info Records from unstructured data content by eliminating the manual efforts in this time-consuming process. It improves the efficiency in the document classification and provides a more reliable classification of content. Being informed about the confidence level of the machine in the proposed classification is a big advantage for the customer, provided by this product feature.
SAP Product Configuration and CPQ
In this area, there are new features, for cloud only and for both cloud and on-premise editions:
Asynchronous Order Management (AOM) with Synchronous Pricing
Available for both editions, the AOM scenario supports synchronous pricing for configurable products in the shopping cart at the checkout. It also allows the usage of SAP back end as the leading pricing system, while leveraging the performance advantages.
Compatibility with S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configurator
Also available for both editions, this feature’s prime function is the full integration of SAP Product Configuration with S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configurator. Knowledge bases created for AVC can be processed. SAP S/4HANA Enterprise can process orders with configurable products. Within AVC, these configurations can be shown in the back office.
Using Rules to Give Discounts on Option Level
Available for cloud edition only, with this release discounts for specific characteristic values can be defined. The discount can be based on all conditions available in the Commerce Rule Engine. The discount can be offered for a limited time and can also depend on the selection of another option. Messages associated with the discount can be created and are showing for how long the offer is valid.
Predefined Variant Functions
A set of predefined variant functions like converting of a single numeric and character input, concatenating inputs, returning of substrings, length of a character type characteristic, and comparing two character values according to a specified comparison operator are just some of the new ones that have been introduced to cover the most common use cases where customers usually implement their own functions to circumvent shortcoming in Variant Configuration syntax.
Enhancements to the Admin UI for the Configuration and Pricing Services
The credentials, which were available only in the SAP Cloud Cockpit can now be obtained from the Admin UI as well. The tenant can be tagged, which is giving him more computing power. There are also improved user settings for language and theme.
Are you curious to learn more about SAP S/4HANA for advanced variant configuration and SAP Product Configuration? Do you want to be up-to-date with all the planned and released innovations within the AVC environment and follow up all the product features in the future? In case of questions, thoughts or feedback. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Stay tuned!
Multi-Level Configuration
It gives you the opportunity to configure assemblies across multiple levels, that are exploded during the configuration process. It also allows the modeling of complex variant configuration models. Via the structure tree, you have the possibility to navigate to the configurable items. The root instances are reprocessed so that pricing reflects the configuration of all instances beneath it.
Integration of Routing
This feature enables routing support in the Simulation Configuration Models app and provides a couple of interesting functionalities. It displays the complete routing structure and the most important information about the routing sub-objects. It provides you the access towards to routing results in single- and multi-level cases and explores the operations regarding the parallel and alternative sequences. You will be able to see the effects of the configuration changes and follow up the different simulation dates, provided by the routing changes. On the one side the Integration of Routing displays the list of object dependencies assigned to the routing elements, and on the other, the list of components, assigned to an operation. Last, but not least, it gives you the details of a selected component and shows the routing-relevant trace messages.
Integration with Purchasing
The advanced variant configuration can now be used for purchasing of configurable materials. It allows you to create and change the configuration during the purchasing of orders and requisitions. The configuration can be maintained by clicking on the status in the fast entry or by clicking “configuration” on the “material data” tab page. This gives you the opportunity to navigate the whole process of purchasing.
Managing Characteristic Groups
This feature provides support for UI groups of characteristics and gives the chance to create, update and delete new groups. Displayed on the valuation UI, you will get the possibility to maintain descriptions in different languages for each group, also assign characteristics to a group, by collecting them in a custom specified order. In the valuation UI, characteristic groups can be assigned/unassigned to a configuration profile. The same characteristic group can be reused in multiple profiles and further on the assigned characteristics groups for a configuration profile can be sorted to influence in which sequence they will be visualized in the UI.
Machine Learning Support for Classification Reuse UI
This feature enables auto-classification of Document Info Records from unstructured data content by eliminating the manual efforts in this time-consuming process. It improves the efficiency in the document classification and provides a more reliable classification of content. Being informed about the confidence level of the machine in the proposed classification is a big advantage for the customer, provided by this product feature.
SAP Product Configuration and CPQ
In this area, there are new features, for cloud only and for both cloud and on-premise editions:
Asynchronous Order Management (AOM) with Synchronous Pricing
Available for both editions, the AOM scenario supports synchronous pricing for configurable products in the shopping cart at the checkout. It also allows the usage of SAP back end as the leading pricing system, while leveraging the performance advantages.
Compatibility with S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configurator
Also available for both editions, this feature’s prime function is the full integration of SAP Product Configuration with S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configurator. Knowledge bases created for AVC can be processed. SAP S/4HANA Enterprise can process orders with configurable products. Within AVC, these configurations can be shown in the back office.
Using Rules to Give Discounts on Option Level
Available for cloud edition only, with this release discounts for specific characteristic values can be defined. The discount can be based on all conditions available in the Commerce Rule Engine. The discount can be offered for a limited time and can also depend on the selection of another option. Messages associated with the discount can be created and are showing for how long the offer is valid.
Predefined Variant Functions
A set of predefined variant functions like converting of a single numeric and character input, concatenating inputs, returning of substrings, length of a character type characteristic, and comparing two character values according to a specified comparison operator are just some of the new ones that have been introduced to cover the most common use cases where customers usually implement their own functions to circumvent shortcoming in Variant Configuration syntax.
Enhancements to the Admin UI for the Configuration and Pricing Services
The credentials, which were available only in the SAP Cloud Cockpit can now be obtained from the Admin UI as well. The tenant can be tagged, which is giving him more computing power. There are also improved user settings for language and theme.
Are you curious to learn more about SAP S/4HANA for advanced variant configuration and SAP Product Configuration? Do you want to be up-to-date with all the planned and released innovations within the AVC environment and follow up all the product features in the future? In case of questions, thoughts or feedback. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Stay tuned!
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